#9 Emporia State Hornets (22-5, 11-2 MIAA)
vs. Missouri Western Griffons (14-12, 11-5 MIAA)
Tuesday, March 28 • 4:00 p.m. • Griffon Baseball Field • St. Joseph, Mo.
Series Record: ESU leads 104-46 Last Meeting: MWSU 4, at ESU 1 (3/21/2017)
Live Stats • Complete Game Notes
Up Next: at Central Oklahoma • March 31 - April 2, 2017
Wendell Simmons Field • Edmond, Okla.
KEEP IT MOVING
The #9 Hornets travel to Missouri Western for the second game of the mid-week series. First pitch will be at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 28 at Griffon Baseball Field.
LAST AT BAT
The #8 Hornets clinched their fourth sweep of the season with three wins (4-1, 7-0, 9-8), including another walk-off, over Neb.-Kearney. Wade Hanna led Emporia State with a .700 batting average, five RBI and a walk-off single on Sunday. Mason Brown hit .455 while Kaden Shaffer had a .375 batting average with three runs and three RBI. Seth Holman improved to 6-1 on Friday, pitching 7.0 innings and allowing just one run on seven hits. Holman had only one walk with eight strikeouts. Nathan Whitcomb earned his sixth save and picked up a win over the weekend. Tanner Cairns tossed a three hit shutout with nine strikeouts on Saturday.
THE COACHES
Bob Fornelli is 545-234 in his 14th season at Emporia State and is 851-347 overall in his 21st year as a four year head coach. He is the fifth winningest active coach in NCAA Division II and is 14th in total victories. Fornelli is the winningest active MIAA coach. He has led Emporia State to two Division II World Series appearances in 11 trips to the NCAA Tournament. Fornelli has taken teams to the NCAA Tournament 16 times, and was the national runner-up in 2009 with Emporia State and in 2000 while at Ft. Hays State. He is 32-20 against the Griffons at Emporia State.
Charles "Buzz" Verduzco is 501-368 in his 18th year as head coach at Missouri Western. He is 27-45 against the Hornets.
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 22-5 on the season, 11-2 in the MIAA, and are ranked ninth in the nation. Although no individual is ranked in the top ten nationally, offensively the Hornets are second in the nation in stolen bases and are ranked third in scoring per game, fourth in fielding percentage and ninth in total runs.
The Hornets six shutouts are the second most in the nation to top-ranked Mount Olive with seven. Nathan Whitcomb is ninth in Division II with six saves. Seth Holman sits tenth in the nation with six wins.
SCOUTING THE GRIFFONS
Missouri Western is 14-12 on the season and 11-5 in the MIAA. The Griffons currently sit fourth in the MIAA standings. The Missouri Western pitching has a 4.43 ERA, good enough for fourth in the conference. Nick Gawley leads the MIAA with 20 stolen bases and is tenth with a .393 batting average. Bailey Zimmer is fifth with a .410 batting average.
THE SERIES
The Hornets lead the all-time series 104-46 over the Griffons.
LAST AT BAT AGAINST MO. WESTERN
The #8 Hornets committed a season high three errors and stranded nine runners in a 4-1 loss to Missouri Western last week. Levi Ashmore hit two for five while Wade Hanna was the single run scored.
ON DECK
The #9 Hornets will face Central Oklahoma in a three game series to transition into April. First pitch will be at 6:00 p.m. on Wendell Simmons Field in Edmond, Okla. on Friday, March 31.
HE'S A WINNER
Emporia State head baseball coach Bob Fornelli has 851 career wins and is 545-234 (.700) in his 14th season at Emporia State. Fornelli is the second winningest coach at Emporia State behind Dave Bingham who was 557-223 (.714) in 14 years from 1974-87. The Hornets have made 11 trips to the NCAA Tournament in his first 13 years and he has twice led Emporia State to the Division II World Series, in 2006 and 2009. He has taken teams to the NCAA Tournament in 16 of his 20 years as a collegiate coach and is the winningest active MIAA coach.
Fornelli, a 1991 graduate of Emporia State, spent seven years at Ft. Hays State where he compiled a 306-113 record and led the Tigers to the NCAA Division II national championship game in 2000 and was in the NCAA regional tournament five times.
He is the fifth winningest active coach in NCAA Division II and ranks 14th in career victories with a 848-347 (.710) record in his 21st season as a head coach.
Prior to his time in Hays, Fornelli was the pitching coach at Butler County Community College in El Dorado, Kan., from 1991 until 1996. During his tenure the Grizzlies were 195-86 and finished third in the NJCAA World Series in 1994.
A native of Lenexa, Kan., he was an honorable mention All-Central States Intercollegiate Conference catcher for the Hornets as a senior after transferring from Butler County CC. He is married to the former Jill Harris of Madison, Kan. The couple has three daughters - Emma, Rylie and Addison.
BEHIND THE PLATE
Catcher Mason Brown (Jr./Littleton, Colo.) is fifth in the MIAA with a .504 on base percentage, sixth with a .408 batting average, ninth with 29 runs and tenth with 40 hits. Brown has a 1.000 fielding percentage with 25 starts.
AROUND THE HORN
First baseman Kaden Shaffer (Jr./Ottawa, Kan.) is tenth in the MIAA with a .459 on base percentage and sixth with 21 walks.
Second baseman Ryan McBroom (Sr./Wichita, Kan.) sits eighth in the MIAA with a .667 slugging percentage. He is batting .358 on the season with 29 hits that include six doubles, two triples and five home runs.
Shortstop Levi Ashmore (Sr./Iola, Kan.) ranks third in the MIAA with 14 stolen bases and is sixth in the league with 31 runs scored. He is batting .337 on the season.
Third baseman Alex White (Sr./Colorado Springs, Colo.) is seventh in the MIAA with both a .406 batting average and a .493 on base percentage. He has 19 RBI and 26 hits that include three doubles in just 64 at-bats.
OUT IN THE FIELD
Outfielder Mack Gowing (Jr./Wichita, Kan.) is batting .348 with 32 hits that include 52 doubles and a home run. Gowing has 14 RBI and 21 runs scored.
Outfielder BJ Dean (Sr./Pratt, Kan.) comes in second in the MIAA with nine home runs and is ranked ninth in the league with 29 runs scored. He is hitting .330 on the year with five doubles, 33 hits and 28 RBI. He leads the Hornets with 100 at-bats.
Outfielder Wade Hanna (Sr./Shawnee, Kan.) has 29 hits that include seven doubles, two triples and a home run. Hanna is batting .319 on the season with 24 runs and 17 RBI. He has yet to commit a fielding error.
TIMELY HITTING
Infielder/DH Daniel LaMunyon (Sr./Leawood, Kan.) has two late inning, game winning home runs on the season. He is fifth in the MIAA with 11 stolen bases and is batting .284 on the year. LaMunyon has 20 RBI and five home runs.
ON THE MOUND
Right-handed pitcher Seth Holman (Jr./Wichita, Kan.) leads the MIAA and is tenth in Division II with six wins. Holman is fourth in the league with a 2.77 ERA, sixth with 48.2 innings pitched and ninth with a .235 opponent batting average. He is also fourth in the MIAA with just nine walks allowed.
Left-handed pitcher Jordan Plank (Sr./Wichita, Kan.) is second in the MIAA allowing only eight walks. Plank is 3-1 on the year with a 5.52 ERA and 28 strikeouts.
Right-handed pitcher Tanner Cairns (So./Wichita, Kan.) is second in the MIAA with a 2.53 ERA and 14 runs allowed. He is 4-0 with 29 strikeouts with five starts.
Left-handed pitcher Nathan Gieber (Jr./Concordia, Kan.) has five starts in nine outings and has struck out 21 with just five walks. He has yet to get a decision and has an 7.00 ERA.
Right-handed pitcher Matt Slauter (Sr./Olathe, Kan.) is 1-0 with a 4.82 ERA in 9.1 innings pitched with a combined shutout in his only start.
IN THE BULLPEN
Right-handed pitcher Nathan Whitcomb (Sr./Humboldt, Kan.) is ranked ninth in the nation with six saves. He has a 0.55 ERA in 13 relief appearances. He has 12 strike outs and no walks in 16.1 innings.
Right-handed pitcher Taylor Thompson (Jr./Cuba, Mo.) is 3-0 with a 4.41 ERA in 13 appearances.
Right-handed pitcher Layne Downing (Jr./Hays, Kan.) is 2-2 with a 2.66 ERA in 11 games.
Left-handed pitcher Tyler Buss (Sr./Jay, Okla.) is 1-0 with a 10.97 ERA in six games with two starts.
Right-handed pitcher Jacob Tetuan (Jr./Topeka, Kan.) is 1-0 with a 4.66 ERA in eight appearances.
TRENDS
When Emporia State out-hits opponents they are 15-1.
Emporia State is 13-1 when they score first and 10-1 when they score in the first.
The Hornets have out-scored their opponents 36-7 in the third and 18-4 in the ninth.
The Hornets are out-scoring their opponents 264-125 overall.
Hornet pinch hitters are batting .381 in 42 at bats this season..
Four of Emporia State's five losses were by one run.
Alex White and Levi Ashmore are both currently on a nine game hitting streak.
HISTORY
Emporia State advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year in the 2015 season and the 11th time in the last 13 seasons. The Hornets have finished second in MIAA regular season play for the past three seasons. Under Coach Fornelli, Emporia State won the MIAA Tournament in 2014 and 2007 and claimed the regular season title in 2011, 2009, 2008 and 2006.
RECORD BOOKS
In his fourth and final season with the Hornets, Wade Hanna looks to make an impact on the career batting recordings. Hanna currently sits third all-time with 652 at-bats. He is also in the top ten in base hits with 204, which puts him third all-time. Hanna is only one of four Hornets to have at least 200 career hits. Hanna is tied with Brett Berry for fifth with 154 runs scored. He now is sixth with 188 games played, needing to appear in 17 more to tie Bob Hines. Hanna is sixth all-time with 39 doubles, needing two more to tie Mike Carlson for fifth. Hanna hit his ninth career triple this season, tying Justin Harris, Dave Mosea and Conner Crubmliss for tenth. Hanna has 120 career RBI, needing 141 to break into the Emporia State top ten.
WALKING OFF
The Hornets have six comeback wins this season. On February 18 Alex White had an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth of a 9-8 walk off win against Missouri S&T after trailing 8-6 through seven innings. In an extended game due to weather delay, Kaden Shaffer hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth for a 5-4 win in game two against Missouri Southern after trailing 3-1 headed into the sixth inning. Against Newman on March 15, the Hornets trailed 6-2 after five innings before Daniel LaMunyon hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 12th inning for a 7-6 win. In game three against Neb.-Kearney on March 26, the Hornets came back from an 8-4 deficit to win 9-8 with a walk-off single from Wade Hanna in the ninth inning.
REGIONALLY SPEAKING
Emporia State was ranked third in the NCAA Central Region last year and was one of two MIAA teams in the regional tournament. The automatic qualifiers from the MIAA, NSIC and GAC along with the next three highest ranked regional teams make up the NCAA Central Regional Tournament.
IN THE POLLS
There are several national rankings in NCAA Division II for baseball. Emporia State is ranked #9 in ABCA Collegiate Baseball Newspaper for the March 27 Poll. The Hornets are #13 in the D2 Baseball News National Rankings and are #5 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 25.
